Let's talk about heat! | The Best Body Co.

What does heat damage hair look like?

Definition of heat damage – “ Heat damage occurs when heat is applied to hair strands on a setting that is too high. It damages the hair shaft and changes its original curly form.” Sometimes, identifying hair that has been damaged is as easy as tracking your heat styling tool usage. But other cases of heat-damaged hair are totally inconspicuous. Split ends top the charts for signs of heat damage. This is when the ends of your hair become frayed or split.

Signs you’ll notice after a shower are split ends. Split ends tend to dry faster than the rest of your hair. Split ends are often the result of damage that have been done to your hair cuticle or the outermost, protective layer that rests on top of your cortex (where proteins, like keratin, are held). Heat is one of the biggest culprits of split ends.

bad vs good hair

Heat can harm the keratins in your hair & alter your hair’s structure & elasticity. Over time, these structural changes to your hair’s natural proteins can cause your strands to become fragile & prone to snapping. Indeed, some reports show that most hair damage is caused by using a flat or curling iron.

Prevention

Heat Protectant is specifically designed to help natural hair shift between sleek & curly styles while shielding each hair strand from further heat damage.

Stay committed! Making sure you use a heat protectant and a daily leave – in treatment will create a seal for your hair. Using these products will also insure that your hair is getting all the hydration and protection it may need whether you’re styling with or without heat that day.

It is an excellent option for those times when you want to revive your hair style or give it some love between washes.

Keep in mind that your hair is at its most fragile & vulnerable when it is wet. Post-shampoo, apply a leave-in treatment that offers ongoing nourishment before you detangle your hair.

Turn down the temp!!!!! One of the biggest mistakes people often make with their heat styling tools is cranking the temperature up to the max. This can fry even the healthiest hair, even with a heat-protectant spray. Keep your tools between 200 & 300 degrees whenever possible.

Maintenance

cutting While at first thought, cutting your hair might not seem like it could help prevent heat damage, the reality is the healthier your hair, the less damage heat will cause. Once the hair begins to break or split, it will continue to work itself up the hair to the point where you have all these short hairs you did not have before. You can prevent this by trimming your hair even just once every couple of months. Most stylists recommend doing so every 8–12 weeks.

Air drying is better for your hair in the long run, even if you do it just once or twice a week. If you have naturally curly hair that you love to wear straight or super straight hair that you love to make wavy, I suggest allowing your hair to air dry first and then applying the hot iron onto your newly air-dried strands. This gives your hair an opportunity to naturally seal its outer most layer (cuticle) on it’s own before applying heat.

If you do heat-style often, one of the best ways you can expedite your hair’s recovery is to do a hair mask at least once a week. Aveda provides great masks such as Botanical Repair, Nutriplenish, or even Cherry Almond. Another great mask is homemade ones! Ask your stylist in your next visit what they would recommend.

If you are trying to be extra careful, watch the hot water in your shower. Rinsing your hair on high heat can leave your hair cuticle open, making it vulnerable to damage or other minerals. Instead, rinse with cold water to “close” your hair cuticles at the end of a shower. Protein treatments cannot repair all damaged keratin bonds. However, certain protein-rich formulas can coat or heal some keratin damage, try leave-in conditioners with proven bonding agents like: Keratin, Biotin, Amino acids, or Collagen.